Buick has created what may be one of the best American cars on the market
in the 2001 LeSabre. This is a car with conservative style, more than
adequate performance, comfort and handling. I believe I have used the analogy
before, but the LeSabre is as close to the ideal of what a Jaguar should be
as any car on the market today, including Jaguar.

What leads me to this conclusion? Well, we took the LeSabre on a 600-mile
round trip that we accomplished in great comfort. We also broke the existing
world's record for a trip from our home to our daughter's home in Virginia.
Our tour route takes us on Interstates as well as two-lane winding roads in
the back country of Virginia. The LeSabre didn't handle like a traditional
Buick, or at least the way a traditional Buick is supposed to handle. That
image leads one to believe that all Buicks are land barges that wallow from
left to right on roads that aren't straight.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The LeSabre was able to
negotiate any type of curve in the road with great aplomb. We hit hard
corners and gradual corners with the same directness. We didn't have a
rock-hard suspension in the LeSabre, which is usually necessary for a decent
ride. We had a comfortable suspension that transmitted some of the road
surface irregularities back to the driver, but didn't make it impossible to
drive.

A long trip can sometimes be a pain in the back, especially for us senior
citizens. We had no such problems with the LeSabre, but if we had, there were
heated seats for both driver and passenger to ease any minor aches. These
were two-level heated affairs that allowed us to run them on "high" when it
was cool outside, and on "low" when we just wanted a gentle heat.

Speaking of heat, the LeSabre had dual-zone heating for the driver and
passenger. This is important in our family because my wife and I constantly
disagree as to what temperature we should have the heater set. Dual-zone
heaters are marriage savers.

Power for the LeSabre comes from the 3800 Series II 3.8-liter V6 that
pumps out 205 horsepower and 230 lb-ft of torque. The engine is connected to
a smooth four-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.
But you may recall that I compared the LeSabre with the rear-wheel drive
Jaguar, and it's true. There is no indication of which are the driving wheels
when you're behind the wheel. So the LeSabre is a front-wheel drive car that
thinks it's rear-wheel drive.

We had all the comfort amenities in the LeSabre, including power windows,
power seats, power windows, an excellent entertainment system that included
an AM/FM radio, cassette player and CD changer.

We also took advantage of an enormous trunk. Buick lists the official
trunk volume as 18 cubic feet, which is enormous in today's shrinking trunk
market. This size allowed us to bring early Christmas presents down for the
grandson, as well as some general large-size packages that wouldn't have made
it in any other car.

When we had the opportunity to take extra passengers along, they sat
comfortably in the back seat that offered excellent leg and head room. This
is also a six-passenger car with a flip-over center console in the front that
doubles as the seat back when it's needed. This console offered excellent CD
carrying capacity as well as a couple of cupholders. I particularly liked the
way the cell phone sat flat next to the driver if it was needed, and the
power cord slid into the console to the outlet jack. The console/seat back
also offered a clip board for quick on-the-road notes.

Buick has appropriated the heads-up-display (HUD) for the LeSabre. Once
the exclusive property of Pontiac, the HUD projects the car's speed onto the
windshield at the base so there's no need to keep lowering your eyes from the
road to check your speed. The HUD also tells you if your turn signals are on,
a distinct advantage.

LeSabre also comes with the OnStar advantage, borrowed from Cadillac.
We've extolled the virtues of OnStar before, but suffice it to say I'm
impressed with this General Motors service option.

All-in-all, the Buick LeSabre has all the requirements to make it one of
the premier sedans in America, bar none. It has power, comfort, handling and
style, and after all, what more could you ask for?

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